For millennials Drummond and Tenea Kormish, location and price were the two determining factors when it came to purchasing their first home.

The couple are new parents to daughter Rosalie, who just turned 11 months, so proximity to schools in a family-friendly community was also top of mind.

“We were really looking for a home that was affordable. And we were really open to a small town — both my wife and I really like the vibe,” says Drummond, 27.

They began their search almost two years ago in March 2016, focusing on the western heritage town of Cochrane, west of Calgary. They’d been renting a 2,400-square-foot, four-bedroom home in the inner-city community of Crescent Heights. But Drummond worked in Cochrane, and increasing traffic and commute time were becoming a major obstacle to life enjoyment.

They looked at a few show suites, eventually settling on a two-bedroom, stacked townhome design in the Vantage project by Calbridge Homes in the new community of Fireside.

Drummond, an assistant supervisor in the homebuilding industry, was familiar with the community of Fireside and with the Vantage project. The location sold Tenea, 21.

“Everything is right here. There is a preschool and a new kindergarten to Grade 8 school across the street. It’s perfect,” she says.

Also across the street is the Embers, a new retail and professional centre, where residents can enjoy a myriad of conveniences from pubs and restaurants to health clinics and daycare. Located just five minutes from downtown Cochrane and from the Trans-Canada Highway, Fireside stretches along the upper reaches of the Bow River Valley and embraces 32 acres of parks and walking pathways, playgrounds, ball diamonds, two wetland reserves and a skating rink.

“It’s a really nice, small, connected community, and you don’t have to go far to enjoy yourself,” says Drummond. “There are lots of parks, including one main park where everyone congregates. You can take the kids skating. It’s great.”

Tenea, who is a foster dog parent for the local humane society, is thrilled with the walking paths and dog-friendly spaces.

“It’s 40 minutes to the mountains with no stop lights,” says Drummond. “It’s so convenient.”

As for their new home design, the couple says it works well for their family.

“I was a bit worried at first because we had to downsize, but the home is built so well, with great use of space — we have more than enough storage and room for all of our things,” says Tenea.

The room sizes are generous and Tenea notes that Rosalie’s room is large enough for a double bed, a dresser and a crib.

“I’ve never lived in a townhome or an apartment before so I was a little nervous about space, but it is surprising how big it is,” she says.

Their home, the Savanna model, provides 1,275 square feet of living space over two levels, offering two outdoor terraces and open-concept living.

“I love it that it is east facing — when the sun comes up in the morning, it is so bright and it is great with the terrace, we can sit out there with coffee,” says Tenea.

The Savanna is a stacked townhome with the entrance on the second level, with a bungalow home below and another two-storey townhome above. So sound insulation was a big factor for the couple.

“The sound transfer in these units was dealt with really well. We can’t hear our neighbours at all,” says Drummond. “And sometimes Rosalie can get quite loud and we’ve asked and no one can hear her either.”

The couple took possession in April of 2017 and has never looked back.

“We don’t miss the city. We have everything we could possibly want here and all at the price point we wanted,” says Drummond.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Development: Vantage Fireside, a collection of stacked bungalow, two-storey and three-storey townhomes, ranging from 900 to 1,485 square feet.Developer: Calbridge HomesCommunity: Fireside in CochranePrices: Homes start in the low $200,000s, excluding GST.Show Homes: Four show homes are located at 601-250 Fireside View, Cochrane.Hours: The show homes and sales centre are open Monday through Thursday from 2 to 8 p.m., and Friday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.Information:calbridgehomes.com

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